WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:04.820 Holy Spirit, give us ears to hear and eyes to see the scriptures this morning. 00:09.600 --> 00:16.900 I pray again and say, Holy Spirit, give us ears to hear and eyes to see the scriptures this morning. 00:21.800 --> 00:24.760 I pray that our minds would be renewed this morning, Lord. 00:27.700 --> 00:34.800 May our attention and our focus be elevated even more onto You, Lord, this morning. 00:40.250 --> 00:45.630 Lord, I pray that You would bring to silence all things that may distract. 00:46.430 --> 00:52.150 Bring to silence, Lord, all things that are burdensome to our minds. 00:52.310 --> 00:57.650 Bring to silence the voices and the noise that we hear throughout the week, Lord. 00:57.790 --> 01:01.410 Bring to silence, I'm asking You, Lord, in us. 01:08.380 --> 01:11.440 Let the scriptures come alive in us this morning. 01:11.440 --> 01:14.400 Let it cut us deep once again, Lord. 01:22.770 --> 01:25.150 Holy Spirit, You convinced them. 01:27.610 --> 01:30.590 Convinced them, Holy Spirit, as You have convinced me. 01:48.220 --> 01:48.640 Yeah. 01:53.010 --> 01:53.810 Amen. 01:55.370 --> 01:55.770 Amen. 01:58.150 --> 02:02.030 I want to do a quick overview from last Sunday. 02:02.030 --> 02:07.530 And then I want to jump into what I believe I sense the Lord wanting to emphasize. 02:07.750 --> 02:11.710 There's a few things, but I'm almost thinking one is more than the other. 02:12.110 --> 02:18.530 But just a quick overview, because what I'm going to be talking about today actually comes from 02:20.270 --> 02:24.490 what was spoken last Sunday and the emphasis that the Lord was making 02:25.570 --> 02:31.190 last Sunday regarding what a lowly life is or to live of lowliness of mind. 02:32.030 --> 02:34.850 And if you were here and if you were not here, maybe you watched online. 02:35.430 --> 02:41.810 But one of the emphasis were to live a life of lowliness or to have lowliness of mind. 02:42.010 --> 02:45.810 It starts and it is being tucked away with the Lord in private. 02:47.490 --> 02:48.710 That's so important. 02:50.190 --> 02:56.330 It's so important that we would live a life that is more tucked away with the Lord than it is in the public eye. 02:58.210 --> 03:02.110 It's really easy to be a Christian on a Sunday. 03:02.290 --> 03:06.330 I'm telling you, it's really easy to be a Christian on a Sunday. 03:07.290 --> 03:10.910 You walk into a sanctuary like this. 03:11.010 --> 03:16.310 You walk into a church like this where the presence of God manifests itself. 03:16.570 --> 03:21.170 And you feed off the energy of other people, of other people's hunger. 03:21.550 --> 03:25.430 You feed off the energy of the presence of the Lord. 03:26.330 --> 03:28.370 So, Sunday we're ready to conquer the world. 03:28.650 --> 03:31.290 And Monday rolls around, we're barely rolling out of our beds. 03:33.310 --> 03:38.750 It's so important to live a life, especially in this series of lowliness of mind. 03:39.150 --> 03:43.090 It is so important that we would live a life tucked away with the Lord. 03:44.310 --> 03:45.210 So important. 03:47.110 --> 03:51.210 And in Matthew, Jesus talks about, I read this last Sunday, I'm not going to read it right now. 03:51.210 --> 03:57.830 But in Matthew 6, Jesus talks about storing treasures in heaven and out here on earth. 04:00.550 --> 04:07.210 The treasures that we store for heaven are the things that will last not just here, 04:07.230 --> 04:11.710 but the things that will actually be able to take with us to the new heaven, 04:11.850 --> 04:14.510 the new earth, to eternity, the new age that the scriptures talk about. 04:15.490 --> 04:20.890 There is things here that we, quote unquote, think are valuable. 04:21.450 --> 04:25.330 And that when the day comes, when we're laying in our caskets, 04:25.630 --> 04:28.290 we're going to realize that ain't that important. 04:32.190 --> 04:35.530 Quick story, my father-in-law, who is with the Lord now. 04:36.830 --> 04:38.470 Now hear me correctly here. 04:39.270 --> 04:44.150 But my father-in-law, because he couldn't work because of a certain disability, 04:44.150 --> 04:49.290 he had three heart surgeries, he had nine heart stenses, so he couldn't work physically. 04:49.850 --> 04:56.250 So what he did to provide for his family, he actually began to collect and recycle aluminum and copper. 04:56.390 --> 05:00.150 He would literally go to people's job sites, he would pick up old water heaters, 05:00.210 --> 05:02.550 he would pick up different things, and he would pick them apart. 05:02.970 --> 05:07.110 And if you walked in to my father-in-law's garage at that time, 05:07.210 --> 05:11.070 you would see brown cub food paper bags. 05:11.070 --> 05:16.010 And he would literally put the copper in this bag, aluminum in that bag. 05:16.130 --> 05:18.170 He had everything organized down to the T. 05:18.490 --> 05:23.690 And he always told me, he said, Igor, if you mix the two, you actually don't get as much as you can get. 05:23.790 --> 05:27.930 So make sure, if you're taking it apart, you're taking it apart so you get the full price. 05:30.290 --> 05:34.290 And here is something that hit me. It's good. That's awesome that he was providing for his family. 05:34.850 --> 05:37.750 But here is something that hit me when my father-in-law passed away. 05:37.750 --> 05:43.010 I remember walking into his garage after the funeral and everything, and I looked at all his stuff. 05:43.750 --> 05:47.970 And I thought, man, that's good. But none of it he could take with him. 05:50.350 --> 05:57.470 It was all left here. He couldn't take the copper, couldn't take the aluminum, couldn't even take the Benjamins with him. 05:57.510 --> 05:58.290 They were all left here. 06:01.150 --> 06:06.670 So a life tucked away with the Lord is actually a way that we store up treasure that will not rust. 06:08.630 --> 06:13.530 Moth will not get to it, and we get to carry that which nobody else sees. 06:14.030 --> 06:18.930 It's just me and you, God. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and sometimes Sunday. 06:19.770 --> 06:23.830 It's just me and you, Lord. That's what I get to carry with me into eternity. 06:25.610 --> 06:32.650 The revelation of who Jesus is, the revelation of the cross, the revelation of the blood, the revelation of the body, 06:32.650 --> 06:39.810 the revelation of the crucifixion, the suffering, the raising from the dead, all these things that are actually the Lord, 06:40.130 --> 06:42.690 we get to carry that with us into eternity. 06:44.010 --> 06:45.210 Now that's treasure. 06:46.630 --> 06:47.870 Now that's treasure. 06:53.680 --> 06:57.920 Tanya, my wife, beautiful awesome wife, had this revelation from the Lord that her and I have been 06:58.780 --> 07:02.160 walking in for some years now, and she shares this every so often. 07:02.980 --> 07:06.400 But this is a few years ago where the Lord spoke to her. 07:08.320 --> 07:11.120 Because let me, let me just take a quick step back. 07:12.980 --> 07:19.380 We are so quick to step out and be noticed by people and start serving and ministering. 07:19.800 --> 07:23.920 Okay, hear me correctly here. These are good things. These are good things. 07:25.140 --> 07:27.580 We're so quick of wanting to be in the public eye. 07:27.580 --> 07:33.020 We're so quick in wanting to do something to be noticed, to have notoriety, all these different things. 07:33.100 --> 07:36.160 We're so quick of wanting a large church and all these things. 07:38.100 --> 07:42.000 But there is something that the Lord spoke to Tanya when the Lord tucked us away. 07:42.160 --> 07:46.360 When we were, when I was literally preaching three times a month to over two years, 07:46.480 --> 07:49.200 I was preaching maybe once, twice a year. 07:50.600 --> 07:53.180 From traveling to no more traveling. 07:54.460 --> 07:57.760 And something the Lord spoke to Tanya that struck home 07:59.360 --> 08:05.300 is that what if God wants to have you for himself 08:06.000 --> 08:09.660 for as long as he can before he starts to share you with other people? 08:14.770 --> 08:18.150 What if when the Lord actually, Tanya was talking about it today, 08:18.270 --> 08:19.690 going into a wilderness season, 08:19.810 --> 08:23.990 what if when the Lord wants to tuck you away and be with you alone, 08:23.990 --> 08:29.510 he wants that to last as long as it can so that he just, it's just you and him. 08:29.950 --> 08:32.490 It's just you and him. He doesn't have to share you with people. 08:33.990 --> 08:36.510 And you'd say, well, give me a scriptural reference, Igor. 08:37.090 --> 08:37.730 Look at Jesus. 08:39.030 --> 08:45.650 For 30 years, for 30 years, Jesus was tucked away with the Father. 08:48.710 --> 08:51.170 He was doing his, his typical stuff. 08:51.310 --> 08:53.230 He was being a carpenter, building furniture, 08:53.990 --> 08:57.410 doing whatever he was doing, hanging out with families, celebrating Thanksgiving, 08:57.910 --> 09:00.230 doing all these holiday stuff that we do. 09:00.590 --> 09:03.210 But yet, God wasn't sharing in with everybody else. 09:04.850 --> 09:12.390 The Father tucked the son away for 30 years until he began to share him with the world. 09:14.770 --> 09:19.370 So what if a life of loneliness, if we would change our mindset and think, 09:19.370 --> 09:21.850 man, God, you want to be with me alone? 09:22.550 --> 09:24.770 You don't want to share me with everybody else? 09:26.230 --> 09:29.990 Because when you step into a realm of where God, not man, 09:30.310 --> 09:35.750 where God begins to trust you to be on platforms, to preach, to teach, to serve, 09:35.890 --> 09:39.630 when God begins to do that, listen, people will arrive at your doorstep 09:39.630 --> 09:41.330 when you don't even want them to. 09:43.670 --> 09:44.530 Trust me. 09:45.910 --> 09:47.990 It sounds fun. It sounds exciting. 09:47.990 --> 09:51.210 Well, Igor, look at all that popularity. Trust me, it is exhausting. 09:53.670 --> 09:57.730 It is exhausting because to one person, you're a counselor. 09:57.970 --> 10:00.130 To another person, you're a garbage can. 10:01.950 --> 10:06.810 To the third person, you are somebody that you did something wrong in their life 10:06.810 --> 10:07.810 so they're accusing you. 10:10.390 --> 10:15.270 So what if a life of loneliness means that God wants to tuck you away 10:15.810 --> 10:21.450 and he wants to be with you alone as long as he can be before he begins to share you with people? 10:22.730 --> 10:27.470 Because there is. There is a due time of where God begins to actually unveil. 10:27.570 --> 10:28.770 We see that in the life of Jesus. 10:29.330 --> 10:31.230 We see that in the life of the apostles. 10:31.590 --> 10:33.470 We see that in the life of John the Baptist. 10:34.050 --> 10:35.730 You can't just stay there forever. 10:35.870 --> 10:39.430 There is moments of where God begins to reveal you 10:39.430 --> 10:42.530 and begins to share you with everybody else. 10:47.780 --> 10:51.000 So what if some of you, I'm speaking to you today. 10:51.700 --> 10:56.540 What if some of you can't wait to do a ministry that's in public where God's like, you're missing it. 10:57.340 --> 10:59.900 I'm trying to hold you to myself as long as I can. 11:00.980 --> 11:03.740 You're missing the point of what I'm doing here in your life. 11:04.460 --> 11:09.880 I want to share you and I actually believe God will even delay the seasons in our lives. 11:10.540 --> 11:13.220 God will delay things in our life. 11:13.980 --> 11:14.400 He will. 11:17.810 --> 11:20.870 The other thing, can you put up that slide of where all the scriptures are at please? 11:21.450 --> 11:23.930 I'm trying to go through the overview quick here. 11:24.330 --> 11:27.370 We spoke about the characteristics and the principles of lowliness. 11:27.710 --> 11:33.010 And there's just a few scriptures and as you can see at the bottom there, I wrote and many more. 11:33.790 --> 11:37.290 You can take a quick picture of that or you can find it, can they find it on the website? 11:37.430 --> 11:38.530 Can they find that slide on the website? 11:38.910 --> 11:40.390 You can find that slide on the website. 11:40.530 --> 11:44.930 These are just some scriptures and many, many more that I could give you. 11:44.930 --> 11:52.650 That talk about what does it mean to, or I'm sorry, that describe characteristics and principles of living a lowly life. 11:53.870 --> 11:55.650 Go to the other slide that I put up please. 11:56.310 --> 11:57.170 The Philippians 2. 11:58.270 --> 12:00.150 The definition. I want you to read that. 12:00.830 --> 12:02.950 As I read it from here, you guys can read it from there. 12:03.310 --> 12:06.430 This is the Greek definition of lowliness, lowliness of mind. 12:06.430 --> 12:17.730 This virtue, a fruit of the gospel, exists when a person through most genuine self-evaluation deems himself worthless. 12:18.850 --> 12:23.770 It involves evaluating ourselves as small because we are so. 12:24.510 --> 12:33.770 The humble person is not stressing his sinfulness, but his creaturelessness of absolute dependence of possessing nothing 12:33.770 --> 12:38.270 and of receiving all things from God. 12:38.430 --> 12:40.710 You can take a picture of that as well and read it. 12:41.450 --> 12:43.410 Let that sear your hearts. 12:44.590 --> 12:48.510 Let that definition and let Philippians 2 sear your hearts deep. 12:51.530 --> 12:58.090 Before we get into today's part 4, I want to, I want to share some things. 13:00.890 --> 13:04.150 Number one, I want us to understand. 13:04.370 --> 13:09.950 I had a conversation with a few different people this week and I had a few different comments of the same things of 13:11.770 --> 13:17.170 it's like the Lord by the Holy Spirit is convincing people just how serious this series is. 13:19.550 --> 13:27.070 It's literally, it's like the Holy Spirit is dropping it in people's hearts and in their minds of listen, this is not just another series 13:27.070 --> 13:30.210 that we should just walk away from and say, well that was good. 13:30.630 --> 13:32.810 That was good that pastor read the definition. 13:33.090 --> 13:35.290 That was good that pastor read Philippians 2. 13:35.750 --> 13:37.930 Had some cool points, had some hashtag moments. 13:38.370 --> 13:39.010 That was cool. 13:40.730 --> 13:43.170 Made some posts out of it, made some shorts out of it. 13:43.810 --> 13:45.150 That was great. What's the next thing? 13:46.410 --> 13:50.190 I don't want us and I'm praying that the Holy Spirit would do this. 13:50.410 --> 13:53.610 I don't want us to look at that as this series in this way. 13:53.850 --> 13:56.610 Not because I'm preaching it, please. Not because I'm preaching it. 13:57.070 --> 14:04.050 But because truly I believe this is an emphasis that God is trying to make in the body of Christ once again. 14:04.450 --> 14:06.710 Because we've strayed so far from it. 14:07.530 --> 14:13.950 We've sat on a mountaintop for so long thinking, thinking that God is pleased with it. 14:14.010 --> 14:15.990 Because well, people are showing up at our church. 14:16.450 --> 14:19.130 Look, our congregation went from 400 to 800. 14:19.730 --> 14:23.830 Look at the giving. We look at all these things and we say, okay, God is pleased with it. 14:24.690 --> 14:30.850 We're in reality, we as a church have sat on high mountaintops where the Lord is trying to bring us low. 14:33.530 --> 14:36.050 The Lord is trying to renew our minds and things. 14:36.250 --> 14:41.330 Give us a new and fresh perspective of literally how the victory is going to come in the end times. 14:42.810 --> 14:46.130 At the lowest point, you're going to hear me say this in stress this. 14:46.470 --> 14:52.770 At the lowest point of our church and as a church as a whole, when the world's going to say they're losing, 14:52.770 --> 14:54.190 we're actually winning. 14:55.650 --> 14:57.330 Is that not what happened on the cross? 14:58.830 --> 15:01.750 Was not the victory won when Jesus died? 15:02.230 --> 15:05.590 And the result of the victory was the exaltation and the resurrection. 15:07.710 --> 15:10.870 Was it not the blood of Jesus that actually won the victory? 15:11.690 --> 15:17.830 Was it not the broken body of Jesus that gave us salvation, that gave us an opportunity? 15:18.670 --> 15:25.150 And the resurrection was the result of that victory, of that act that was performed in lowliness. 15:25.870 --> 15:34.010 That's low to be God that then is incarnated, coming and allowing the creation that you created, 15:34.270 --> 15:36.470 allowing that creation to crucify you. 15:36.710 --> 15:38.230 I don't know about you, but that's low. 15:39.890 --> 15:40.810 That is low. 15:42.350 --> 15:45.850 You talk that into our society, they'll call you crazy and nuts these days. 15:46.990 --> 15:49.350 It's literally against our society. 15:49.610 --> 15:57.510 It's against what culture is pushing, feeding our children in schools, feeding our families, feeding even in churches. 15:59.450 --> 16:02.650 This is no longer just outside the walls of the church. 16:02.830 --> 16:06.550 It's actually bled in and creeped in within the body of Christ. 16:06.810 --> 16:08.770 Why? Because it puts butts in the seats. 16:10.790 --> 16:12.990 It has you building a building quicker. 16:18.230 --> 16:22.590 But what if, truly what if, I'm just stirring your minds to something here. 16:22.650 --> 16:24.790 I'm stirring your spirits to something here. 16:24.950 --> 16:32.590 What if the Lord is really wanting us to go low, so that we would see the victory, so that no glory be given to no man? 16:35.490 --> 16:37.970 I said so that no glory be given to no man. 16:39.190 --> 16:42.210 I said that no glory be given to no man. 16:45.110 --> 16:56.150 But you would see pastors and you would see leaders and you would see people in the body of Christ that would literally be on their knees weeping, saying, Lord, we're at ends meet. 16:56.870 --> 16:58.190 We don't know the answers. 16:58.950 --> 17:02.010 God, if you don't step in, we don't know what we're going to do. 17:02.090 --> 17:03.930 We might end up closing the doors of our church. 17:04.150 --> 17:06.450 What if that's where the victory is? 17:07.210 --> 17:09.450 What if the victory is in our repentance? 17:09.450 --> 17:16.450 What if the victory is when we're on our knees, face flat weeping, crying out to God, God, we don't know. 17:16.950 --> 17:19.750 God, I don't know the answer to the problems of my people. 17:20.010 --> 17:20.990 I don't know, Lord. 17:22.550 --> 17:25.410 They're expecting of me as a pastor, God, but I don't know. 17:25.630 --> 17:29.910 And if you don't step in, by your Holy Spirit, I don't know what's going to happen, Lord. 17:30.270 --> 17:31.470 What if that's the victory? 17:33.350 --> 17:34.750 I said, what if that's the victory? 17:35.530 --> 17:44.010 What if the victory is when we're flat faced, weeping, and we actually admit that we actually admit that we don't have the answers? 17:45.210 --> 17:48.090 What if that's the definition of lowliness, of mind? 17:48.590 --> 17:52.690 Is realizing everything I have is because of the Lord. 17:53.370 --> 17:58.290 Every answer I have, every resource and result I have, it's because of Him. 17:58.790 --> 18:00.170 It's nothing to do with me. 18:02.090 --> 18:03.430 What if that's the victory? 18:03.430 --> 18:07.310 And what if that's where the Lord is trying to bring this church? 18:11.630 --> 18:13.810 I'm going to tell you something here, and I'm going to hit home. 18:15.730 --> 18:18.450 Some of you look at other churches, listen to me. 18:18.910 --> 18:23.330 Some of you are looking at other churches in Princeton, and you are fighting in your mind. 18:23.590 --> 18:26.990 Why are they growing, but we are not growing? 18:27.290 --> 18:28.630 What's the problem, pastor? 18:29.490 --> 18:30.630 Can I tell you the truth? 18:31.270 --> 18:32.130 Are you ready for this? 18:32.130 --> 18:35.810 There is very few that are actually hungry for the deep things of God. 18:36.130 --> 18:36.690 That's why. 18:39.630 --> 18:45.190 I said there is very little Christians that hunger for the deep things of God. 18:45.390 --> 18:46.270 That's why. 18:48.110 --> 18:52.070 I never want to be found as a pastor that's giving you a shallow message. 18:52.370 --> 18:57.370 I want to preach in a way that you would be stirred in the cage of your inner man 18:57.370 --> 19:01.090 and say, my God, I need Jesus to accomplish that. 19:04.110 --> 19:09.250 There is very few Christians that actually hunger for the deep things of God. 19:10.530 --> 19:13.470 Listen to me. Listen to me. 19:14.170 --> 19:16.050 There is very few, and do you know why? 19:16.450 --> 19:22.050 Because situations in their life have not come to a place of where they actually are suffering 19:22.050 --> 19:28.390 and it's causing them to be face flat on the floor, at home, weeping and crying out and calling out to God. 19:28.390 --> 19:30.690 Because life is too good in America. 19:31.410 --> 19:35.010 Life is too good here. You need bread? Go to cup foods. 19:35.750 --> 19:39.550 You need eggs? Ask the neighbor. He'll give you eggs. She'll give you eggs. 19:40.430 --> 19:46.250 We have everything good here. We are so lavish by the things that we have. 19:50.700 --> 19:52.000 We've been spoiled. 19:53.940 --> 20:01.060 I said we've been spoiled by the things that are available and are accessible to us. 20:02.040 --> 20:07.820 We have become our own gods. I'm telling you, we have become our own gods. 20:08.600 --> 20:12.980 I had a conversation with somebody a while ago sitting over dinner with a couple. 20:13.560 --> 20:17.780 And somebody asked me a question and I said, my God, I said, you're missing it. 20:18.340 --> 20:24.120 This person told me, he said, listen. He said, you preach about a God that provides and gives and on and so forth. 20:24.340 --> 20:28.620 But he said, why do I need a God if I can go and earn my own money? 20:31.520 --> 20:36.880 He said, why do I need a God that if I want to go and buy a new car, I go and I do it. 20:36.920 --> 20:42.300 I don't need God to do it. This is the speech that's coming out of Christians these days. 20:44.060 --> 20:47.800 Some of them are consciously. Some of them are subconsciously. 20:49.660 --> 20:59.720 Our dependence on God has been seared because our hearts have grown cold and callous because everything we want, we have access to it. 20:59.900 --> 21:04.920 And if we don't have it, we pout, we cry, we stomp and eventually we get it. 21:06.260 --> 21:08.280 I said, eventually we get it. 21:10.600 --> 21:13.320 Can I tell you something? I can't wait. 21:13.800 --> 21:24.940 I said, I can't wait for the day that people are going to be so hungry that we are going to have a line of people lined up just to get into church rather than coming late to a service. 21:26.860 --> 21:33.420 I can't wait for the days that Benny Hinn, when his crusades would come, you would stand in line for hours. 21:34.660 --> 21:38.860 And now society says, why would you do that? There's enough spots for you. 21:39.140 --> 21:45.640 I can't wait. So when people come late and our ushers will say, hey, sorry, you're five minutes late. You got to go into the overflow. 21:46.020 --> 21:50.540 I can't wait for that day. You didn't hear me. I said, I can't wait for that day. 21:50.900 --> 21:54.280 You're saying, pastor, well, that's not right. Oh, that's right. Oh, that's right. 21:56.200 --> 22:00.260 We have been so cold in our hearts and coming late to services. 22:00.260 --> 22:05.760 We've been so cold in our hearts of the things of God because of the luxuries that surround us. 22:07.800 --> 22:11.740 But what if a lowly life is a life that's hungry for the Lord? 22:12.440 --> 22:16.720 And we're not satisfied with status quote. We're not satisfied with coming late. 22:18.020 --> 22:21.640 There is one thing that my father taught me when I was under him and pastoring. 22:21.960 --> 22:26.560 He taught me a lot of characteristics. And he said, son, he said, you have to remember. 22:26.560 --> 22:33.040 And he said this for multiple reasons. He said, you have to remember as a pastor, you cannot be late to events. 22:33.840 --> 22:38.320 He said, you can't. He said, you have to come early to events. 22:39.940 --> 22:44.540 You know, some of you are sitting here and you're saying, well, Igor, I got children. It's hard to get my children. 22:45.000 --> 22:50.840 Listen, I got three kids of my own. I've been in the ministry before my kids were even born. 22:52.000 --> 22:56.240 Somehow Tanya and I have figured it out. I don't know how. It's the grace of God. 22:57.080 --> 23:02.180 Maybe that means I'll go to bed earlier on Saturday and get my kids to bed earlier on Saturday. 23:02.420 --> 23:04.740 Just so that I can make it here on time. 23:09.720 --> 23:13.680 See, that's a lowly life. That's a life that's against the current. 23:14.520 --> 23:18.460 Because now at churches, they tell you, hey, you can't make it. That's all right. 23:18.460 --> 23:24.020 Just watch us online. Hashtags, scan the QR code, all this stuff. You're good. Just do it at home. 23:25.940 --> 23:30.220 You want to hear a real truth? I was talking to some friends that are in the ministry. 23:31.340 --> 23:38.140 They went to a very large church and when COVID happened, my friends that are ministers, a husband and a wife, 23:38.640 --> 23:43.420 they said the amount of... So the church was probably close to, I don't know, 800 people. 23:43.800 --> 23:46.340 Roughly, I don't know the exact numbers. I just know that it was above like 600. 23:46.860 --> 23:51.100 When they went on, when they went to COVID and they had to shut churches down, they had to watch it online. 23:51.580 --> 23:57.040 Do you know how many people actually were watching online? I want to say it was less than 200 people. 23:57.660 --> 24:05.940 If even that. I'm sorry, I can't watch church online. It's difficult for me to watch church online. 24:06.900 --> 24:12.140 Maybe that's just me. Maybe I'm the oddball. Open up your books to Matthew 20. 24:13.920 --> 24:19.340 How many of you have brought your physical Bibles this morning? Praise God. 24:20.140 --> 24:22.620 I'm not being legalistic. I'm stirring you to something. 24:26.520 --> 24:31.040 By the way, I got a handkerchief today. Did you guys see that? You want to hear something wild while we're here? 24:32.520 --> 24:37.880 So I said that last Sunday. I don't know who, but somebody put a little envelope there with some nice handkerchiefs in there. 24:38.060 --> 24:41.560 And then I had Kim come up and she gave me a bag and there's like, here's some handkerchiefs for you. 24:41.560 --> 24:47.360 And then my wife ordered these without me even asking her. So she's like, honey, you're sweating up there, bro. 24:50.360 --> 24:57.040 Matthew 20, I want to stir you to something here that I can say with confidence. 24:57.320 --> 25:04.240 I'm saying this with confidence. There is very few that are this what I'm about to talk about. 25:05.520 --> 25:10.620 Matthew 20 verse 20. What I'm about to read. Let me give you a little bit of context to why I'm reading. 25:10.620 --> 25:23.240 What I'm about to read. A life that is lowly or lowliness of mind to live a life of lowliness of mind actually brings you into a friendship with the Lord. 25:24.900 --> 25:38.060 Let me say that again. A life that is lowly, lowliness of mind. If we live by this, it will actually naturally bring us into a friendship with the Lord. 25:38.060 --> 25:48.440 Now let me say what I said earlier. There is very, very, I said very few Christians that are really friends of Jesus. 25:53.600 --> 26:03.420 Out of a hundred people, maybe one. I said maybe one. And you're saying, Igor, well, how can you make such a statistic or such a statement like that? 26:03.540 --> 26:07.880 Because I've learned in the scriptures what it means to be a friend of the Lord. 26:09.380 --> 26:19.360 There is characteristics in a person that is a friend of the Lord. The way they act, the way they talk, the decisions they make in life, the priorities they have in life. 26:21.440 --> 26:27.200 People oftentimes ask me this question. Well, they say, well, Igor, are you a friend of Jesus? I don't even make that claim. 26:27.600 --> 26:30.540 I don't. You say, well, why not? Because I've learned from John the Baptist. 26:31.700 --> 26:37.420 John the Baptist didn't even claim to be a friend of Jesus. He let Jesus say it. 26:38.560 --> 26:46.120 So if I'm a friend of the Lord, I'm not going to sit here and tell you, hey, I'm a friend of Jesus. I'll let the Lord make that known if it really is in my life. 26:47.600 --> 26:54.720 I'm going to let the Lord make known the relationship that I have with him in private, tucked away. He'll make it public. 26:55.700 --> 26:58.820 What kind of friend will not show up when you invite them to an event? 27:00.160 --> 27:06.340 Think about it. If they haven't been to your birthday for the last few years, I highly doubt they're your friend, man. 27:09.380 --> 27:13.720 If they haven't been at any of your children's events, I highly doubt they're your friend, man. 27:14.740 --> 27:18.460 If they weren't at your wedding, I highly doubt they were your friend, man. 27:21.700 --> 27:33.440 So to live a life of lowliness actually naturally produces a friendship with Jesus that very, very few actually live and walk in. 27:34.480 --> 27:40.940 I said very few. Listen to this. Matthew 20 starting at verse 20. 27:42.040 --> 27:47.720 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to him, which is Jesus, with her sons. 27:48.920 --> 27:53.200 This whole picture you can just, oh man, you can go different ways here, but let's stay focused. 27:55.240 --> 28:03.480 Came to him with her son. So the mom comes with James and John kneeling down and asking something from him, from Jesus. 28:04.820 --> 28:10.820 I know, right? Can you imagine mom bringing you? I'd be embarrassed if I was James and John, but that's all right. 28:12.180 --> 28:18.720 All the momma's boys said amen. Somebody said amen. Don't say amen to that one, man. 28:20.400 --> 28:27.280 Verse 21. And he said to her, this is Jesus now replying to the mother of James and John. 28:28.040 --> 28:40.800 What do you wish? She said to him, grant that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and the other on your left in your kingdom. 28:40.820 --> 28:47.300 So pause there for a second. I know. Just pause there for a second. 28:47.760 --> 28:55.340 A lot of funny stuff is going on here. Momma's bringing two sons to Jesus and saying, hey, Lord Rabbi, can you just do me a favor? 28:55.520 --> 29:06.680 Maybe even slip the $100 bill underneath? I don't know. And said, hey, can you make sure that both of my sons, James and John, you know them, Lord, come on. 29:06.680 --> 29:14.000 They've walked with you. You know, John is your beloved, you know. Can you make sure that in the age to come, the kingdom is the age to come eternity? 29:15.160 --> 29:21.940 Can you make sure that one sits at your right and the other sits at your left? Can you make sure of that? Do you know what that tells us? 29:22.480 --> 29:28.820 That tells us what I said last Sunday, that there are certain proximities that we as Christians will have when we get to heaven. 29:30.060 --> 29:36.600 There will be certain proximities and the closeness that we actually have to the throne of God. 29:38.200 --> 29:40.720 Now, let me stir you to something even greater. 29:42.360 --> 29:47.200 What if you would live a life starting today? I said starting today. 29:47.800 --> 29:53.180 You would live a life of not just, I just want to make heaven. As long as I make heaven, I'm good. 29:53.500 --> 29:56.880 What if you live the life of God? I'm not satisfied with just being a doorkeeper. 30:02.990 --> 30:05.310 What if we live the life like that starting today? 30:05.610 --> 30:20.550 What if we changed our mindset of, I just want to make heaven, to live a life of I have the opportunity to be in such close proximity to the throne room that I can literally behold all this stuff and be in the inner circle, so to say? 30:21.810 --> 30:23.910 What if that's an opportunity we have? 30:25.430 --> 30:28.350 And according to the scriptures, we do have it. 30:28.350 --> 30:35.150 And according to the fact that you still have breath in your lungs, you still have the opportunity today. 30:37.370 --> 30:45.750 If you're breathing today, if there's breath in your lungs, and as I'm looking at all of you, all of you are alive, because if you weren't, I'd be calling 911 right now. 30:46.910 --> 30:49.530 Or we'd be praying for some raising from the dead. 30:51.790 --> 31:06.110 But what if we could live a life starting today of, I don't just want to make heaven, I want to be in the closest proximity that I can be in the throne room so that God can entrust me to govern over cities, over places. 31:06.430 --> 31:08.770 What if we could live a life starting today like that? 31:10.910 --> 31:12.670 And you can, you sure can. 31:15.070 --> 31:22.190 See, Christians are so, I just want to make heaven. That's so shallow. I'm sorry. That's so shallow. It's good that you made heaven. 31:22.370 --> 31:24.750 But that's shallow. I want to swim in deeper waters. 31:25.750 --> 31:30.810 I want to swim in deeper waters. I want to swim in waters where very few actually go. 31:31.070 --> 31:32.830 But listen to me, there is a cost. 31:33.490 --> 31:36.530 There is a cost to being a friend of Jesus. 31:37.190 --> 31:40.170 To live a life that is lowly will cost you something. 31:41.230 --> 31:45.970 It'll cost you something and it's not the Benjamins. It'll cost you your life. 31:46.190 --> 31:49.530 That's why Jesus said, if you lose your life, you'll actually gain it. 31:50.790 --> 31:59.330 It's the words of the Lord. He said, if you lose your life, if you choose to negligate and say, I'm saying, note of this flesh, flesh, you will not rule over me. 31:59.850 --> 32:03.990 I'm going to let my spirit man rule and reign in this body. 32:03.990 --> 32:13.110 If you could choose to do that starting from today, I promise you naturally you will begin to step into a relationship with the Lord like you've never before. 32:14.750 --> 32:21.490 A year will go by. Two years will go by. A decade will go by and people will come up to you and they'll start asking you this question. 32:21.890 --> 32:26.970 Are you a friend of Jesus? Why do you talk about Him the way that nobody else talks about Him? 32:28.330 --> 32:31.870 Why do you describe the Lord like no one else describes Him? 32:34.430 --> 32:39.570 You guys see Tanya, and you guys can only describe Tanya to the measure that you see her. 32:39.770 --> 32:45.570 But me as her husband, I can describe her through and through. Why? Because I know her. 32:46.070 --> 32:50.770 Because I spend time with her. Because I prioritize her over all else. 32:51.470 --> 32:55.430 You're not going to see me prioritizing another woman and sitting at a coffee shop with her. 32:55.770 --> 33:02.170 You won't see that. You will not see me prioritizing another woman over my own wife. 33:02.170 --> 33:05.050 Why? Because she's dear to me. I love her. 33:05.290 --> 33:12.030 I am ready to give and have given my life on to her as Christ says in Ephesians, or as Paul says in Ephesians 5, 25. 33:12.610 --> 33:17.070 Husbands love your wives as Christ says love the church and give yourself on to her. 33:20.880 --> 33:28.180 So a life of loneliness is something that will cost us yet at the same time it will produce a friendship with the Lord 33:28.180 --> 33:33.900 that will bring us into a closer proximity with Him for eternity. 33:33.920 --> 33:41.820 I said for eternity. This is forever and ever. This is not 70 years of your life. 33:41.940 --> 33:49.740 This is not even 100 years of your life. This is forever and ever you get to be in such a nearness and closeness with God 33:49.740 --> 33:55.700 that you would be like Moses and you would be at his face and he would be at your face and you would commune together. 33:56.660 --> 34:00.700 That's what I'm talking about. We have that ability starting today. 34:00.700 --> 34:09.880 If you didn't know that yet, you have now the knowledge that you have the ability today to begin to develop a relationship with the Lord that way. 34:10.480 --> 34:16.940 And that is a lowly life. That is living a life of lowliness of mind. 34:19.120 --> 34:26.020 Are you hearing what I'm saying? Are you hearing what I'm saying? I'm trying to stir you to something here. 34:30.660 --> 34:35.780 She says, let one of them sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your kingdom. 34:36.980 --> 34:41.060 But Jesus answered and said, you do not know what you ask. 34:46.860 --> 34:50.520 I want to say something. I'm going to hold off for a second. Help me Lord. 34:52.060 --> 34:55.160 Jesus says, you do not know what you ask. 34:56.160 --> 35:05.660 Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 35:07.620 --> 35:15.740 You see, Jesus answers the mother of Zebedees, the sons James and John. Jesus answers her and he says, hey woman. 35:16.500 --> 35:19.480 I'm paraphrasing here. Or like Pastor Mary says, hey chick. 35:22.180 --> 35:26.820 What you're asking for your sons is coming from a good heart position. I get it. You're a mother. 35:27.360 --> 35:29.380 I don't know about you. I want the best for my kids. 35:30.940 --> 35:32.820 But he says, you don't know what you're asking for. 35:37.830 --> 35:44.030 We sometimes, not sometimes, I'll say most of the time, we don't know what we're asking for when we're asking things of God. 35:44.770 --> 35:50.010 Show me your glory Lord. It sounds good, doesn't it? Why would we not want to see the glory? 35:52.250 --> 35:58.870 Send me to the nations Lord. Let me do signs, miracles and wonders Lord. 35:59.230 --> 36:03.310 And we ask these things and if you look at it, that's a good thing we're asking. 36:03.710 --> 36:06.810 But Jesus says, you don't know what you're asking for. Do you know why? 36:07.150 --> 36:12.070 Because we know what we're asking for, but we don't know the cost that actually produces it. 36:12.550 --> 36:19.350 So it actually becomes empty words. Send me to the nations Lord. God's like, are you sure? 36:20.150 --> 36:27.250 Are you sure you want to go to the nations? Do you know that if you go to a place where Christianity is not wanted, you can literally be beheaded? 36:27.370 --> 36:34.550 Are you ready for that? But we ask for it. And so do so many other Christians. 36:34.970 --> 36:40.250 We ask for things without weighing the cost of what is this really going to cost me. 36:41.910 --> 36:45.250 And then when we don't get it, we say, well God doesn't hear my prayers. 36:45.250 --> 36:55.190 No, my friend, it's not that God didn't hear your prayers. It's the fact that God was merciful unto you, not to give you that because you didn't know the cost of what it actually is. 36:57.270 --> 37:10.830 That's the truth. It's actually the mercies of God when God doesn't even, doesn't sometimes answer our prayers because the things we ask for in prayer, we don't know the cost of what we're asking it for. 37:11.750 --> 37:14.850 And it's the mercy of God that he's not answering that prayer. 37:17.030 --> 37:33.090 I want a husband, Lord. Are you sure? Are you ready to die to yourself? Are you ready to submit under a man, take off your last name, take upon his name and live how the Bible talks about marriage to be and not how society portrays marriage to be? 37:33.390 --> 37:44.990 Are you sure you're ready for that? Lord, we want kids. Are you sure you're ready to be entrusted by the Lord to raise children that would not burn in hell, but that would make the kingdom of heaven? 37:45.250 --> 37:57.690 Are you sure you're ready for that? Lord, I want a promotion in my job. Are you sure you're ready to be accountable? Lord, I want to do more in the church. Are you sure you're ready? What is going to cost you your time? 37:58.850 --> 38:09.690 These are all things that we ask for on a day to day basis, not realizing there is actually a cost to it. And when we don't get it, it's the mercy of God that we don't get it. 38:10.190 --> 38:13.670 I said it's the mercy of God that we're not getting it. 38:16.130 --> 38:23.510 Pastor, but God doesn't hear my prayers. Oh, he hears it, my friend. Oh, he hears your prayers. You're just not recognizing his mercy in your life. 38:26.490 --> 38:38.910 She says, let him sit on my right hand and on my left hand. He says, you don't know what you're asking for. Are they able to drink the cup that I'm about to drink? Are they able to be baptized with the baptism that I'm about to be? 38:38.910 --> 38:48.970 Do you know what Jesus is saying there? He's basically saying, hey, are you sure you want your sons to suffer the suffering that I'm about to suffer, which is the cup? 38:49.830 --> 38:57.130 Jesus drank the cup of wrath. That's what the Bible tells us. Jesus, our Lord, drank the cup of wrath, the cup of suffering. 38:59.170 --> 39:13.750 So, he's asking her. He says, hey, are you sure? We're talking about your beloved boys, James and John. Are you sure you want your boys, your mama's boys, your golden boys? Are you sure you want them to suffer the way I'm about to suffer? 39:15.810 --> 39:24.830 You see, when she was asking, she wasn't realizing what she was asking for. She was just looking at, well, man, my boys James and John, they want to be sitting by Jesus up in heaven. 39:24.830 --> 39:43.840 And yo, I get to go up to heaven and I get to be like, hey, it's your mama. She was looking at the result, which is good. It's good to look at the result, but we have to look at the process, the cost of what it's going to actually do to us to get there. 39:44.680 --> 40:01.720 That's why you took me in Tanya over two years when God was calling us out of my father's church, a thriving, a vibrant church. It took me over two years because I literally sat day after day and I counted the cost of what my life would look like. 40:03.040 --> 40:09.680 I looked at everything and I said, God, I don't want to do it. I don't want to do it, Lord. 40:09.680 --> 40:20.680 But if that means that if I do it by obedience because you're asking me and that's going to bring me into a relationship with you, I said with you that I'm willing to do it, God. 40:22.380 --> 40:31.060 I'm willing to do it, Lord. If that means that you're going to show yourself to me in ways that you have not showed yourself before, it's worth it, Lord. I'm doing it. 40:31.660 --> 40:36.000 I'll pay that cost. I'll pay it. And I'll go at it, Lord. 40:37.940 --> 40:43.560 So he says, are you sure your sons are ready to drink the cup that I'm about to drink? 40:44.840 --> 40:51.780 And then he says, are you sure your sons are able to be baptized with the baptism that I'm about to be? 40:51.840 --> 40:54.440 Do you know what he was talking about? Talking about them being martyred. 40:58.550 --> 41:04.970 The baptism of the Lord is being death. It's death and then raising. 41:07.450 --> 41:13.670 What their mom was doing is she was literally signing off on the death certificate said, yep, Lord, you can kill him. 41:15.010 --> 41:16.310 That's literally what she was doing. 41:18.390 --> 41:20.470 Can I tell you something? This is about to rattle your brains. 41:22.010 --> 41:25.090 We're all afraid that when the end times come, listen to me, listen to me. 41:25.550 --> 41:31.710 We're afraid that when the end times come that many of us are going to be killed and beheaded and all this. 41:31.710 --> 41:36.250 Can I give you a perspective? And this is scriptural according to what he's saying here, what the Lord is saying here. 41:36.690 --> 41:43.250 Do you know that God the Father has to allow you to die for his name? 41:44.110 --> 41:47.990 To be a martyr is something that is of a privilege. 41:50.550 --> 41:57.010 And many of us are afraid to die. What if I could beheaded? It's a privilege. 41:57.010 --> 42:04.770 It is a privilege. That's why you read Acts 14 and they talk about we endured. Give us more. 42:04.990 --> 42:10.530 We want more. Why? Because they were after something more in the age to come. 42:11.610 --> 42:16.150 They said, don't let us go. You torment us. I'm not leaving until you torment me. Behead me. 42:16.530 --> 42:21.910 Because when I'm dead here, I want to be in a closer proximity with Jesus for eternity. 42:22.430 --> 42:26.630 That's why you say, man, they were crazy. They were a radical bunch. Yes, they were. 42:26.990 --> 42:29.850 Because they weren't living for this. They weren't living for this temporal. 42:30.290 --> 42:34.790 They weren't living for this for 70 years, 100 years. They were living for eternity. 42:35.670 --> 42:43.670 That's why Paul writes, he says, the sufferings of this temporary life do not do not equal to the glory that is to come. 42:46.650 --> 42:52.970 See, what if we could live a lifestyle like that? What if we could live a lowly life that would look like that? 42:56.780 --> 43:04.580 Some of you are saying, so you're telling me God has to allow me to die for his name. Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you. 43:06.140 --> 43:11.360 Because when you get to heaven, by the way, if you actually revert back last year, October, 43:11.360 --> 43:17.500 Pastor went through a series called a balanced Christian and he gave like a pyramid looking thing of different tears. 43:18.240 --> 43:25.240 I love to use that pyramid and that example as the proximity of who's going to be to what measure closer to the throne room. 43:25.800 --> 43:34.760 And at the top of the list, friends, at the top of the list, who we, I trust me, who we are going to see closest to heaven 43:34.760 --> 43:40.960 and closest to the throne room are going to be those who were martyred for the name of Jesus. 43:42.620 --> 43:49.140 That's why I said last message. I said when we get to heaven, we will be surprised who we actually see there 43:49.140 --> 43:56.120 because they're going to be a whole bunch of no names. They're going to be people that we've never even seen at crusades or even heard of. 43:56.500 --> 44:00.080 And we're going to get to heaven and we're going to say, who are you? And he's going to say, hey, I'm Bob. 44:01.660 --> 44:08.700 I died at 22 because I preached the gospel in a place that nobody else wanted to preach and I actually got beheaded for the name of Christ. 44:09.800 --> 44:12.880 We're going to say, I never heard about you. He said, that's all right. Jesus knew me though. 44:16.580 --> 44:23.360 What if we could live a life like that? What if you could live a life so under the radar that nobody knows you? 44:24.660 --> 44:27.680 That nobody... Honestly, you want the truth? You want the truth ready for this? 44:29.280 --> 44:34.560 I love that God would tell me, hey, Igor, your time is done preaching. Just be with me alone. I would love that. 44:36.980 --> 44:44.540 I would love that. I am simply obeying the call and the destiny on my life. That's all I'm doing. 44:45.120 --> 44:50.400 This is not my reward. Listen to me. This is not my reward. This is not my reward. 44:50.400 --> 44:59.600 Your eyes, your compliments, your attention is not my reward. My reward is tucked away when the Lord meets me and he tells me about himself. 44:59.860 --> 45:04.700 That's my reward. That's what I get to take back with me for eternity. 45:05.120 --> 45:09.540 I don't get to take this back for eternity. Will I answer for some of this? Most definitely I will. 45:10.240 --> 45:17.720 But this is not my treasure. This is my obedience. This is me obeying what God is asking me to do. 45:17.720 --> 45:22.700 I'm obeying the Lord by speaking, by preaching, by teaching, by ministering. 45:22.800 --> 45:27.120 I'm doing what he's asking me to do. I'm running my vein. I'm running my lane. 45:27.580 --> 45:32.800 But my reward is tucked away with the Lord where no one else sees and he meets me. 45:33.060 --> 45:37.560 And he just met me last night and it was wonderful. It was wonderful. 45:38.440 --> 45:43.760 It was wonderful to be in the presence of God and this gentleness of the Lord comes 45:43.760 --> 45:49.520 and you know that you know that you know that he sees you and he's pleased with you. 45:50.300 --> 45:57.560 That's my reward. That's where my reward is. And I've been in the... I've told you this last Sunday. 45:57.860 --> 46:01.980 I've been in a place where I flip flopped the two. I thought this was my reward. 46:02.280 --> 46:06.480 I thought the traveling was my reward. I thought the public ministry was my reward 46:06.480 --> 46:11.840 until the Lord showed me he said, son, he said, you are more in love with the pulpit 46:11.840 --> 46:15.440 and the eyes of people than you are being tucked away with me. 46:15.600 --> 46:21.260 Oh, that cuts deep. Oh, that cuts deep. Because in my heart, I thought I was doing everything right. 46:22.120 --> 46:27.420 But deep rooted in my heart was a love for this more than for this. 46:29.760 --> 46:37.280 See, now that's a life of lowliness. That's a life of lowliness and being of a lowly mind. 46:38.460 --> 46:47.480 You still with me? If we go past 12 today, are you okay with that? Listen to this. 46:48.900 --> 46:52.080 So to be baptized with the baptism that he was, that's to die. 46:53.860 --> 46:57.140 Then they said to him, this is now James and John, okay? 46:57.440 --> 47:00.280 So this is no longer just his mother speaking because she brought them both. 47:00.760 --> 47:04.020 She brought them over and she asks Jesus answers. 47:04.820 --> 47:07.140 Now James and John not realizing what they're answering. 47:07.140 --> 47:11.660 Look at what they said. And this is us. I can literally see Christians in this so often. 47:12.120 --> 47:19.720 They said to him, we are able. We're able, Lord. We're able to do it. 47:23.200 --> 47:27.020 Now I'm about to say something. I don't know this because you never shared this with me. 47:27.120 --> 47:32.660 But I think what I'm about to say pastor hits home before you said yes to God to build that building. 47:33.120 --> 47:35.900 You weighed that cost because you knew what it was going to cost you. 47:37.160 --> 47:39.420 This is not just let's get a fancy building and go. 47:39.940 --> 47:44.820 You knew the cost of what it would cost your life, pastor Mary's life. 47:45.080 --> 47:46.680 You knew the effect of it. Am I right? 47:50.250 --> 47:53.970 He said he'd prefer not to do it. Who at your age wants to do a building project? 47:54.350 --> 47:54.950 Tell me. 47:58.530 --> 48:01.810 I'm 32 years old and I'm stressing about building our house here. 48:03.130 --> 48:05.430 And you're a little bit older, just a few years older. 48:05.430 --> 48:08.110 And you're building a building that's 10 times the size of my house. 48:12.770 --> 48:15.770 See, we're quick to say, yes, we're able, Lord. Yep. Come on. Let's do it. 48:15.990 --> 48:18.890 When is the time? When is the time? God's like, listen, I ain't going to answer that. 48:19.050 --> 48:25.130 And that's my mercy. I'm not answering that prayer and that's my mercy until I see that your heart is ready to receive the seed. 48:28.960 --> 48:35.320 Are you ready to get married? I'm talking to you, man. Are you sure? Are you positive? 48:40.380 --> 48:44.060 Are you ready to get married? I'm talking to some of the singles here. Are you guys ready to get married? 48:44.600 --> 48:49.040 Count the cost, man. Write it down on a piece of paper. I even suggest writing positives and negatives. 48:49.360 --> 48:53.460 And talk to Matt Ruth. He'll give you some good advice. I promise you. Or Matt Bergman or Brayden. 48:53.980 --> 48:58.860 They'll give you some great advice. I'm talking to the young guys. Jot that down. Am I right, Matt? 48:59.420 --> 49:02.280 Marriage is easy because your wife makes it easy. 49:04.020 --> 49:05.240 And Sarah said, amen. 49:08.400 --> 49:12.960 We got a newlywed couple sitting actually right there. Grayson and Katie are good friends. Is marriage easy? 49:14.120 --> 49:21.040 He's shaking his head. No. Praise God. Dear, dear friends of us, dear, dear friends of ours, Katie and Grayson. 49:21.580 --> 49:26.600 So here he continues. Or they answer and they say, we are able. Verse 23. 49:26.600 --> 49:33.500 So he said to them, will you intend, will you indeed, you will, I'm sorry, I'm reading that wrong. 49:33.640 --> 49:40.220 You will indeed drink my cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with. 49:40.680 --> 49:45.580 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give. 49:46.020 --> 49:50.720 But it is for those to whom it is prepared by my father. 49:51.640 --> 49:54.400 So they signed up for something. Jesus is like, hey, cool. 49:55.020 --> 49:58.620 Not many people are signing up for this. If you're willing to sign up, I'm putting your name down. 49:58.760 --> 50:02.100 You are going to drink my cup. You are going to be baptized with my baptism. 50:03.020 --> 50:12.280 But then he goes on further and he says, listen, as much as I love for you, John and James, to sit on my right hand and on my left hand, it's not for me to choose. 50:12.920 --> 50:17.800 But it's for my father who has prepared those places beforehand. 50:20.940 --> 50:27.980 You see, God the Father sees us a lot more than I think us Christians are sober too. 50:30.660 --> 50:33.560 You want to hear something crazy? I'm going to talk to you about our culture a little bit. 50:34.340 --> 50:35.920 Sam, you're going to get a good kick out of this, bro. 50:36.700 --> 50:37.980 Talk to you about our culture a little bit. 50:38.080 --> 50:42.020 We have brothers and sisters that are Christians that go to Slavic churches. 50:42.880 --> 50:48.120 And in church, if you see them, some of them are even wearing suits and ties looking fly like no other. 50:49.400 --> 50:57.720 These brothers will go to fishing trips and they will get drunk that they don't remember thinking God doesn't see them there. 50:57.940 --> 51:01.900 It's almost like God veils his face. Oh, they're going fishing. I can't see them. Where are they? 51:02.500 --> 51:03.480 Oh, where'd they go? 51:06.520 --> 51:14.160 We have people in the church that will go to Mexico and get drunk off their head thinking, well, God doesn't see Mexico. 51:15.060 --> 51:23.480 I mean, Trump built the wall, right? The wall is built. So God's like, ah, man, Trump, you built. It's too big, man. 51:23.560 --> 51:32.800 I can't see over that. But that's our mentality. We think as soon as I leave those doors and that threshold, it's like God can't see you. 51:32.800 --> 51:42.420 It's like, oh, where'd they go? See, the father actually sees the decisions that we make that nobody else sees. 51:45.760 --> 51:52.140 So Jesus says, hey, I'm with you right now. And as much as I love for you to be at my right and on my left, it's not for me to decide. 51:52.480 --> 51:53.720 It's for my father to decide. 51:55.160 --> 52:05.600 My father actually rewards and gives the privilege for some to be murdered, for some to be friends, for some to be disciples, followers, believers. 52:06.220 --> 52:14.060 These are all the traits, friends. These are all the traits. Some will make heaven and they'll be like David writes in the Psalms. 52:14.360 --> 52:20.460 They'll be a doorkeeper in heaven. But David says, I'd rather be a doorkeeper than dwell in the tents of evil men. 52:21.620 --> 52:27.840 Even if you make that, praise the Lord, but I am the kind of pastor that I'm going to stir you to something greater. 52:29.500 --> 52:44.560 Not only do I desire to see you make heaven, I said, not only do I desire for you to make heaven, I desire you to be in the closest proximity that you would choose to be in the age to come. 52:45.180 --> 52:49.060 That's my desire. That's why you'll see me preach messages like this. 52:51.180 --> 52:58.680 Actually, you'll probably never see me preach a shallow message. You know why? Because I have a conviction that falls on me when I'm preaching a shallow message. 53:00.400 --> 53:05.340 I have a conviction of the Lord that will not allow me to preach a shallow message. 53:05.980 --> 53:13.700 Let me give you an example. I did a wedding a few years ago. Dear, dear friends of ours, my wife and I, dear, dear friends of ours, they're older than us. 53:13.700 --> 53:16.580 And their kids are all at that age where they're getting married. 53:18.020 --> 53:27.240 I want you to know, more than 80% of the people at this wedding, there was maybe like 200 people, more than 80% of these people that were at this wedding were not believers. 53:28.360 --> 53:34.220 They were not Christian, though they thought they were. Some of them were just straight-up heathens. I'm just going to straight-up tell you. 53:35.100 --> 53:37.820 Straight-up heathens. I had somebody come up to me and talk to me about gambling. 53:37.820 --> 53:42.760 I said, bro, where's like... he's like, hey, so do you gamble? I said, brother, I'm a pastor. 53:44.540 --> 53:51.340 Where's your ability to even talk about something? Like, where's your reverence to even... I'm not talking about me, but the call of the Lord. 53:52.180 --> 53:54.920 That's a side note, but that doesn't matter. So anywho, we're at this wedding. 53:56.280 --> 54:04.780 80% of the people there are unbelievers. The wedding is outside at a park that you see the LGBTQ community. 54:04.780 --> 54:12.160 You see all these people with pride flags, all this stuff. And I'm sitting there, up front, before the wedding begins. 54:12.540 --> 54:18.240 And I'm thinking, my God. I'm thinking, my God, how am I about to do this wedding? 54:18.700 --> 54:22.780 Because if any of you have heard the how I do weddings, it's just like this. I'm preaching. 54:22.940 --> 54:26.720 And I'm sweating up there when I'm doing weddings. I'm like, yo, you... yeah. 54:27.860 --> 54:30.300 And I'm sitting there and I said, Lord. 54:33.080 --> 54:39.100 I said, what I'm going to say doesn't even matter, God. They're unbelievers. They're not even going to receive it, Lord. 54:40.140 --> 54:45.700 They're going to look at me and they're going to say, who is this young dude thinking that he's that? 54:46.000 --> 54:48.380 And, you know, all these things are running through and I'm wrestling inside. 54:50.000 --> 54:55.780 I'm like, Lord, we're outside and people obviously see a wedding set up, so what do people do that are uninvited to an outside wedding? 54:55.780 --> 55:03.600 And they stop and all of a sudden your congregation went from 200 to 250 people. 50 are uninvited. 55:04.420 --> 55:11.380 And I'm sitting there and I'm going, Lord. I said, I don't want to. I'm just going to give a quick, short 10 minute kiss the bride. Let's go with it. 55:12.640 --> 55:20.500 The Spirit of God came and he said, son, he said, it's not up for you to decide what you're going to say or not say. 55:24.810 --> 55:29.010 He said, what if this is their only opportunity to hear what they need to hear? 55:29.550 --> 55:33.690 What if you holding back? This is what I heard so clearly and it cut me deep. 55:33.810 --> 55:40.050 The Lord said, what if what you're holding back is actually robbing them of an opportunity? 55:41.410 --> 55:44.850 And I sat there and I closed my eyes and I said, my God, then you got to help me. 55:45.850 --> 55:47.150 I said, you got to help me. 55:52.160 --> 55:54.680 You still with me? Is this still good? 55:57.920 --> 56:01.760 Verse 24. So the father sees us. That's the earlier voice. 56:01.880 --> 56:06.480 The father sees us and the father determines where we are to be in the age to come. 56:07.560 --> 56:10.660 Now listen to this. Jesus saying that then, okay? 56:11.020 --> 56:14.660 Jesus then gives us something that literally is lowliness of mind. 56:14.900 --> 56:19.220 And I believe the Lord said the first statement where he said, hey, listen, it's not for me to decide. 56:19.680 --> 56:24.260 But it's almost like the Lord was like, but hey, if you live this way, 56:24.260 --> 56:28.680 he didn't say that you're going to be there, but he's almost giving like a little nugget. 56:28.800 --> 56:30.600 Like, hey, listen, my father sees. 56:31.100 --> 56:35.900 So if you live this type of lifestyle, my father will see it and he will reward you for it. 56:35.900 --> 56:37.580 So watch this. Listen to what Jesus says here. 56:38.780 --> 56:45.300 Verse 24. And when the, and when the 10 heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. 56:45.600 --> 56:49.680 So quick thing, a fight broke out basically like an argument like, dude, you guys serious? 56:50.860 --> 56:53.340 You had your mom. Wow. You wouldn't told your mom type of thing. 56:53.340 --> 56:57.800 I can imagine that, but any who, we're not, we're not going to sit on that one there for a bit. 56:58.560 --> 57:04.220 But Jesus called them to all of them, all 12 of them, called them to himself and said, 57:05.120 --> 57:10.240 you know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them. 57:10.640 --> 57:14.020 And those who are great exercise authority over them. 57:14.760 --> 57:18.380 Yet it shall not be so among you. 57:20.000 --> 57:26.920 So he's saying, listen, people, the Gentiles, in other words, heathens, in other words, sinners, 57:27.760 --> 57:34.800 in other words, people in the world, in other words, certain pastors and leaders in the church are bringing this to more modern day. 57:35.240 --> 57:39.060 They exercise their authority in a way like the Pharisees did. 57:40.620 --> 57:44.220 They command you to carry burdens that they themselves are not carrying. 57:45.540 --> 57:49.580 They're telling you to live a life that they themselves are not living. 57:50.960 --> 57:56.260 You have to pray, but then you ask, did you know, by the way, this is a statistic that came out. 57:57.160 --> 58:01.960 The average pastor spends no more than 15 minutes a day in prayer. 58:04.920 --> 58:06.220 You don't believe me? Look it up. 58:06.980 --> 58:10.920 An average pastor spends 15 minutes a day in prayer. 58:10.920 --> 58:12.900 My question is, how do you survive, brother? 58:14.560 --> 58:15.700 How do you literally survive? 58:18.860 --> 58:26.060 So he compares the two and then verse 26, Jesus says, yet it shall not be among you. 58:26.600 --> 58:30.940 Speaking to the disciples, speaking to born again spirit filled Christians. 58:31.300 --> 58:34.340 He's saying, this cannot be among you. 58:34.340 --> 58:40.720 You can't live a life in loftiness and live a life of, I demand what I say goes. 58:41.280 --> 58:43.440 Living a life of, I tell you what to do. 58:43.600 --> 58:48.440 Living a life of pride and arrogance and notoriety and recognition. 58:48.720 --> 58:50.280 He's saying, you can't live a life like that. 58:51.320 --> 58:52.540 He says, you can't. 58:52.760 --> 58:54.980 If you're my disciple, you can't live a life. 58:55.080 --> 58:57.500 If you're my follower, you can't live a life. 58:57.600 --> 58:58.920 He gives that comparison to us. 58:59.220 --> 59:00.940 The Lord gives us that comparison. 59:00.940 --> 59:12.720 So then he says this, whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 59:13.620 --> 59:14.820 My God. 59:17.840 --> 59:22.660 I said, my God, that is against the culture, Lord. 59:23.700 --> 59:26.640 That is against our culture. 59:29.240 --> 59:35.340 Our culture is, you're greater over somebody if you're lording over them. 59:36.380 --> 59:40.160 Rather than stooping down and saying, brother, I'm going to wash your feet. 59:42.920 --> 59:46.480 The Lord is saying, listen, if you're going to be my disciple. 59:46.800 --> 59:50.720 If you're going to be somebody that's going to put the hashtag, I'm a Christian on you. 59:50.980 --> 59:52.080 You can't live like that. 59:52.880 --> 59:54.880 You can't live a lofty life. 59:54.880 --> 59:59.100 You can't live a life after popularity and notoriety and all this stuff. 59:59.420 --> 01:00:04.420 Yet you have to, or the opposite is you have to live a life of lowliness. 01:00:04.980 --> 01:00:07.160 You got to go low and you got to serve. 01:00:09.300 --> 01:00:11.400 Do you know what serving is? 01:00:11.800 --> 01:00:16.820 Serving is something that is very, very, very inconvenient for us. 01:00:19.930 --> 01:00:22.950 Some of you are like, well, no, I love to do what I do, pastor. 01:00:22.950 --> 01:00:27.290 I love to, you know, set up some flowers and, you know, set some decorations out. 01:00:27.470 --> 01:00:29.010 I love to be in the audio and visual. 01:00:29.150 --> 01:00:30.050 I love to do that Lord. 01:00:30.330 --> 01:00:34.030 Yes, because it's convenient for you and you are serving, but true servanthood. 01:00:34.210 --> 01:00:40.310 Listen, true servanthood and lowliness is actually inconvenience to this flesh. 01:00:43.190 --> 01:00:48.110 When you're going to bed and you get a phone call of somebody who actually has an emergency 01:00:48.830 --> 01:00:51.390 and you're like, my God, I just want to be with my wife. 01:00:52.410 --> 01:00:55.870 I just want to go to bed, but you have to serve. 01:00:55.990 --> 01:00:56.430 It's inconvenient. 01:00:58.710 --> 01:00:59.810 You know what else is inconvenient? 01:01:01.690 --> 01:01:06.270 Is when there's a big event happening and hundreds and hundreds of people are flooding there 01:01:06.690 --> 01:01:08.930 and the Lord says, yeah, but I want you to be alone with me. 01:01:09.470 --> 01:01:11.770 But God, but I want you to be with me. 01:01:13.310 --> 01:01:15.270 I know a pastor that I esteem highly. 01:01:15.650 --> 01:01:16.810 I do esteem this man of God. 01:01:17.310 --> 01:01:18.530 I've shared the story before. 01:01:18.530 --> 01:01:22.370 He has turned down events that were mega events. 01:01:22.450 --> 01:01:28.270 I'm talking about thousands upon thousands upon thousands of people were at these events. 01:01:28.370 --> 01:01:33.970 Can you imagine the notoriety and the popularity and the recognition that you would receive? 01:01:34.230 --> 01:01:40.190 And this man respectfully behind closed doors, respectfully declined these events 01:01:40.190 --> 01:01:42.990 because the Lord asked him be with me. 01:01:43.810 --> 01:01:44.570 Serve me. 01:01:48.560 --> 01:01:53.720 What if to go low means to serve the Lord before we serve anybody else? 01:01:55.960 --> 01:01:57.700 What if that's lowliness of mind? 01:01:59.980 --> 01:02:05.560 So Jesus says, among you, my brethren, those that are disciples and followers and Christians. 01:02:05.920 --> 01:02:10.640 He said, listen, you cannot live a life of high recognition and loftiness and all this stuff. 01:02:10.820 --> 01:02:12.840 You have to serve. 01:02:13.000 --> 01:02:14.180 He says, you want to be great in the kingdom? 01:02:14.600 --> 01:02:15.880 He's talking about the age to come. 01:02:15.880 --> 01:02:17.480 See, he's giving them a nugget. 01:02:18.060 --> 01:02:19.480 He's giving them something. 01:02:19.640 --> 01:02:23.140 He's giving a revelation for them to catch. 01:02:23.300 --> 01:02:26.440 He says, it's not for me to decide, but for my father. 01:02:26.800 --> 01:02:31.700 But if, but if you do this, my father will see it. 01:02:33.700 --> 01:02:37.740 My father will see how you've been inconvenienced in your flesh, 01:02:37.740 --> 01:02:42.740 simply to be with me and to minister on to me, to tend to my wounds, 01:02:42.740 --> 01:02:45.600 to be my friend when no one else wanted to be my friend. 01:02:49.020 --> 01:02:50.320 See, that's a lowly life. 01:02:51.520 --> 01:02:53.300 See, that's living a life of lowliness. 01:02:54.040 --> 01:02:54.680 Now listen to this. 01:02:56.480 --> 01:03:04.600 Verse 27, and whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave. 01:03:08.200 --> 01:03:09.600 Let him be your slave. 01:03:12.870 --> 01:03:15.330 Do you know what that tells me as a pastor? 01:03:16.670 --> 01:03:17.850 I have to be your slave. 01:03:20.250 --> 01:03:21.230 See, somebody agreed. 01:03:24.890 --> 01:03:28.790 You're like, well pastor, that's a radical statement. 01:03:29.690 --> 01:03:31.830 But if I want to be great in the kingdom of God, 01:03:32.710 --> 01:03:34.550 I have to first and foremost, listen to me. 01:03:35.010 --> 01:03:36.890 First and foremost, I have to be a slave of Christ. 01:03:38.270 --> 01:03:39.270 Just like Paul said. 01:03:39.670 --> 01:03:41.590 He said, I'm a bond servant of the Lord. 01:03:41.850 --> 01:03:43.190 Do you know what it means to be a bond servant? 01:03:43.190 --> 01:03:46.510 That means that you chose to remain a slave, to stay a slave. 01:03:47.810 --> 01:03:50.230 Somebody who's just a slave is you've been bought. 01:03:50.730 --> 01:03:52.850 They just bought you and they have all the right to you. 01:03:53.050 --> 01:03:57.010 But when being a bond servant or a bond slave is you're saying, 01:03:57.050 --> 01:03:58.630 okay, I've done my time. 01:03:58.830 --> 01:04:00.990 I've recognized that you've paid a price for me. 01:04:01.050 --> 01:04:03.070 And you're saying that I have free will, 01:04:03.330 --> 01:04:04.770 but I am choosing to stay. 01:04:06.670 --> 01:04:08.510 See, is that not what the Lord did to us? 01:04:09.350 --> 01:04:13.030 Does not the scripture say that we've been purchased at a price? 01:04:15.170 --> 01:04:17.110 The Lord paid for our freedom. 01:04:17.310 --> 01:04:18.810 For us to have free will. 01:04:19.670 --> 01:04:22.250 This is what amazes me about the Lord. 01:04:23.050 --> 01:04:25.210 He can have anything he wants. 01:04:25.770 --> 01:04:27.450 He wanted a son. Boom. 01:04:27.890 --> 01:04:29.190 He said, let there be light. There was a son. 01:04:30.090 --> 01:04:32.690 He wanted to have stars. Boom. He had stars. 01:04:32.990 --> 01:04:35.710 He wanted to have vegetation and animals. Boom. 01:04:35.870 --> 01:04:37.270 He spoke it. He had it. 01:04:37.270 --> 01:04:41.510 There is nothing that God cannot have except, 01:04:42.010 --> 01:04:43.730 listen, except your heart. 01:04:45.130 --> 01:04:46.010 Did you know that? 01:04:48.090 --> 01:04:51.150 Do you see the power that we actually possess? 01:04:52.350 --> 01:04:56.050 We actually have power within us to determine 01:04:56.050 --> 01:04:58.670 will our life be in heaven? 01:04:58.930 --> 01:05:01.150 Or will our life be in hell? 01:05:01.410 --> 01:05:03.550 Now that's a power that a lot of people don't realize. 01:05:05.810 --> 01:05:07.930 You want to talk about walking in power? 01:05:08.130 --> 01:05:09.910 Right there. A power of choice. 01:05:10.550 --> 01:05:13.630 A power of submission. A power of surrender. 01:05:13.970 --> 01:05:15.230 What are you surrendering to? 01:05:15.670 --> 01:05:16.990 What are you submitting to? 01:05:17.310 --> 01:05:19.070 What are you giving yourself on to? 01:05:19.530 --> 01:05:21.530 That's a power that we as believers, 01:05:21.750 --> 01:05:23.970 and not even just believers, as humans have. 01:05:26.390 --> 01:05:30.750 I said that Genesis 1 God can have anything he wants. 01:05:31.850 --> 01:05:32.910 Accept your heart. 01:05:34.830 --> 01:05:37.650 Because he says, hey, I've paid the price. 01:05:38.690 --> 01:05:40.190 Boom. On shackles, you're gone. 01:05:41.330 --> 01:05:44.610 You choose. You choose this day whom you will serve. 01:05:45.210 --> 01:05:47.610 Ask for me in my house, we will serve the Lord. 01:05:47.990 --> 01:05:50.670 I said you choose this day whom you will serve. 01:05:50.910 --> 01:05:53.610 Ask for me in my house, we will serve the Lord. 01:05:54.170 --> 01:05:55.970 Husbands, if you're a husband in this place, 01:05:56.090 --> 01:05:56.730 raise your hand high. 01:05:57.210 --> 01:05:58.710 Raise your hand high. Husbands, men, 01:05:58.710 --> 01:06:01.710 men raise your hands high. Listen, listen to me. 01:06:02.230 --> 01:06:05.090 It is the decisions and the choices you can put them down. 01:06:05.250 --> 01:06:06.230 I don't want your hand to go numb. 01:06:06.570 --> 01:06:10.070 It is the decisions and the choices that you make 01:06:10.070 --> 01:06:14.270 that will trickle down and affect your wife and your children. 01:06:14.410 --> 01:06:16.830 Stop waiting for your wife to pray more 01:06:16.830 --> 01:06:18.430 and to read the word more. 01:06:18.650 --> 01:06:21.590 Stop waiting for your children to seek the Lord more. 01:06:21.850 --> 01:06:24.910 You start it. You start seeking the Lord. 01:06:25.190 --> 01:06:27.350 You start praying. You start reading. 01:06:27.350 --> 01:06:29.310 You start going hard after God. 01:06:29.590 --> 01:06:31.290 And you will see, I promise you, 01:06:31.530 --> 01:06:33.610 you will see how it will trickle down 01:06:33.610 --> 01:06:36.250 and it will actually affect your wife, 01:06:36.590 --> 01:06:39.090 your children, and the generations after you. 01:06:39.370 --> 01:06:40.730 I am a result of it. 01:06:41.170 --> 01:06:44.590 I am a result of a man who stood before God 01:06:44.590 --> 01:06:45.930 and sought his face. 01:06:46.710 --> 01:06:49.690 He is a result of a man that stood his post 01:06:49.690 --> 01:06:52.390 and sought the Lord and even before that. 01:06:53.430 --> 01:06:57.110 Man, I'm telling you, you got to go hard after God. 01:06:57.530 --> 01:07:00.250 Stop waiting for your wife to be a part of a Bible study. 01:07:00.570 --> 01:07:02.110 You start a Bible study. 01:07:03.630 --> 01:07:07.070 Stop waiting for your wife to be part of the worship team. 01:07:07.350 --> 01:07:09.090 You be part of the worship team. 01:07:11.270 --> 01:07:14.190 Stop waiting for your wife to share her dreams and visions. 01:07:14.570 --> 01:07:16.610 Ask the Lord. Give me dreams. 01:07:16.810 --> 01:07:18.050 Give me visions, my God. 01:07:21.070 --> 01:07:23.310 Stop sitting on the back pew as a husband 01:07:23.310 --> 01:07:25.270 and get up front and say, 01:07:25.310 --> 01:07:26.990 God, I don't know how I'm going to do it, 01:07:26.990 --> 01:07:28.130 but I'm going to lead this family. 01:07:29.410 --> 01:07:30.630 Because it was Joshua. 01:07:31.090 --> 01:07:32.370 It wasn't Joshua's wife, 01:07:32.510 --> 01:07:34.550 but it was Joshua that made that claim. 01:07:35.690 --> 01:07:37.090 He said, that's for me and my house. 01:07:37.390 --> 01:07:39.250 He said, that's for me and my house. 01:07:39.390 --> 01:07:40.870 We will serve the Lord. 01:07:41.730 --> 01:07:44.550 We will go low when no one else wants to go low. 01:07:44.930 --> 01:07:46.770 We will do communion with the kids 01:07:46.770 --> 01:07:48.910 when no one else is doing communion with the kids. 01:07:49.430 --> 01:07:51.470 We will do things that nobody else is doing 01:07:51.470 --> 01:07:54.570 because I've decided to serve the Lord. 01:07:54.830 --> 01:07:56.270 And what does it mean to serve Him? 01:07:56.550 --> 01:07:58.590 It's to be inconvenienced in your flesh. 01:07:58.970 --> 01:08:01.170 It's to go low and choose Him. 01:08:02.250 --> 01:08:04.470 That's what it means to serve the Lord. 01:08:05.210 --> 01:08:08.010 I said, that's what it means to serve the Lord. 01:08:08.230 --> 01:08:10.170 We think serving Him is right here. 01:08:10.570 --> 01:08:10.990 No friends. 01:08:11.550 --> 01:08:13.130 Serving the Lord is right here. 01:08:13.410 --> 01:08:15.130 It's ministering on to Him. 01:08:15.130 --> 01:08:18.170 It's choosing Him and allowing this right here, 01:08:18.250 --> 01:08:20.750 that vertical life, to affect the horizontal. 01:08:23.210 --> 01:08:25.610 It's this right here that will affect this. 01:08:26.150 --> 01:08:28.010 Friends, if I'm not doing this, 01:08:28.430 --> 01:08:29.930 you're not going to see the effect. 01:08:30.370 --> 01:08:33.150 You're going to leave Sunday's dry. 01:08:34.410 --> 01:08:37.610 Your prized dairy cow will hear my sermon 01:08:37.610 --> 01:08:39.070 and the milk will dry out. 01:08:42.910 --> 01:08:43.970 I'm telling you! 01:08:45.950 --> 01:08:46.990 Ain't that right, Kevin? 01:08:49.090 --> 01:08:50.310 I'm telling you guys. 01:08:54.390 --> 01:08:56.170 Men, you got to get back up on your post. 01:08:56.450 --> 01:08:58.450 I'm telling you, men, you got to get back up. 01:09:01.390 --> 01:09:02.670 Men, you got to arise. 01:09:04.530 --> 01:09:05.390 You got to arise. 01:09:05.590 --> 01:09:07.410 You got to make some decisions in your family. 01:09:08.370 --> 01:09:10.330 And women, if you're sitting here and you're saying, 01:09:10.410 --> 01:09:11.530 well, Igor, I don't have a husband, 01:09:11.730 --> 01:09:13.450 or maybe my husband's an unbeliever, 01:09:13.730 --> 01:09:15.490 women, you keep praying for that man. 01:09:16.150 --> 01:09:18.010 You keep praying for that man. 01:09:18.350 --> 01:09:21.070 You stand in intercession for that man, 01:09:21.270 --> 01:09:23.290 and you make declarations and you say, 01:09:23.430 --> 01:09:25.350 God, I want to see my husband, 01:09:25.550 --> 01:09:27.450 or I want to see my future husband 01:09:27.450 --> 01:09:30.150 as a man that's first and foremost after your heart. 01:09:30.550 --> 01:09:32.950 That he provides for your needs first, God, 01:09:33.290 --> 01:09:34.530 before he provides for mine. 01:09:34.890 --> 01:09:35.770 You keep praying. 01:09:35.770 --> 01:09:37.550 You keep standing in faith, 01:09:37.790 --> 01:09:41.170 because God loves a persistent person. 01:09:42.330 --> 01:09:45.350 Persistence moves the heart of God. 01:09:45.950 --> 01:09:46.470 Listen, listen. 01:09:47.630 --> 01:09:50.870 Persistence moves the heart of God 01:09:50.870 --> 01:09:52.270 in a supernatural way. 01:09:53.490 --> 01:09:54.550 It moves his heart. 01:09:55.370 --> 01:09:57.270 He was moved by a Gentile woman. 01:09:58.310 --> 01:10:01.370 She said, even the dogs get the crumbs off the table. 01:10:01.690 --> 01:10:03.910 The Lord said, wow, such faith, 01:10:03.910 --> 01:10:06.970 such faith, such faith I have not seen. 01:10:07.590 --> 01:10:09.050 So women, you keep praying 01:10:09.050 --> 01:10:11.770 and you stand in persistence saying, 01:10:11.870 --> 01:10:14.690 Lord, if he still has breath in his lungs, 01:10:14.870 --> 01:10:16.090 I'm going to keep praying 01:10:16.090 --> 01:10:17.770 because you ain't done with him yet. 01:10:19.070 --> 01:10:20.710 Lord, he still has breath. 01:10:20.910 --> 01:10:23.670 That tells me that you're still working in his heart. 01:10:24.970 --> 01:10:26.710 Maybe some of you are sitting here 01:10:26.710 --> 01:10:28.310 and you have an unbelieving spouse, 01:10:29.030 --> 01:10:30.710 friends, if they're breathing today, 01:10:30.710 --> 01:10:33.710 God is still working with them. 01:10:34.610 --> 01:10:37.770 And he's working by showing his mercy 01:10:37.770 --> 01:10:39.350 because if he wasn't merciful, 01:10:39.350 --> 01:10:40.910 he would have killed them already. 01:10:44.290 --> 01:10:45.770 You got to stand in faith. 01:10:46.090 --> 01:10:47.450 You got to stand in persistence. 01:10:47.810 --> 01:10:48.770 That is lowly. 01:10:49.170 --> 01:10:50.150 That is lowly. 01:10:51.030 --> 01:10:52.510 Are you catching what I'm saying today? 01:10:53.730 --> 01:10:55.430 Let me go a little bit longer here. 01:10:59.520 --> 01:11:02.780 And whoever desires to be first among you, 01:11:02.780 --> 01:11:04.960 let him be your slave. 01:11:05.500 --> 01:11:06.440 Verse 28, 01:11:07.260 --> 01:11:09.860 just as the Son of Man 01:11:09.860 --> 01:11:14.140 did not come to be served, 01:11:14.560 --> 01:11:16.060 but to serve, 01:11:16.460 --> 01:11:20.240 and to give his life a ransom for many. 01:11:21.220 --> 01:11:22.720 Jesus is saying, listen, 01:11:23.160 --> 01:11:25.360 he's prophesying about why he even came to earth. 01:11:26.740 --> 01:11:28.680 He's saying, just as the Son of Man, 01:11:28.800 --> 01:11:30.780 me, God, the Son of God, 01:11:30.780 --> 01:11:35.400 I am a result of what the Father will do 01:11:35.400 --> 01:11:38.240 if you live a lowly life 01:11:38.240 --> 01:11:41.680 and if you live serving and being a slave. 01:11:43.260 --> 01:11:46.220 What did Jesus receive in heaven? 01:11:46.440 --> 01:11:47.240 Can somebody tell me? 01:11:50.490 --> 01:11:53.190 The Bible says, the Bible says 01:11:53.190 --> 01:11:57.250 that he has the highest name in heaven. 01:11:57.910 --> 01:12:01.810 The Bible says that Jesus is the attraction of heaven. 01:12:02.970 --> 01:12:07.710 The Bible says that he sits at the right hand of the Father. 01:12:08.630 --> 01:12:11.470 The Bible says that he is the king of kings 01:12:11.470 --> 01:12:12.730 and the Lord of lords. 01:12:13.670 --> 01:12:16.670 The Bible says that he is the bright morning star. 01:12:17.170 --> 01:12:19.010 He is the glory in heaven. 01:12:19.350 --> 01:12:20.210 It's Jesus. 01:12:20.550 --> 01:12:21.930 It's the light of Christ 01:12:21.930 --> 01:12:24.070 that actually gives light to heaven. 01:12:24.470 --> 01:12:27.050 Do you see what a lowly life produces? 01:12:28.410 --> 01:12:30.250 Do you see what it produces? 01:12:30.890 --> 01:12:33.230 The Lord was an example for us. 01:12:33.870 --> 01:12:36.110 That's why he said, it's not for me to decide. 01:12:37.130 --> 01:12:38.570 It's not for me to decide. 01:12:39.070 --> 01:12:40.490 It's for the Father to decide. 01:12:41.050 --> 01:12:42.370 But if you can live a life, 01:12:42.710 --> 01:12:44.270 that's what he's saying in the next few verses, 01:12:44.670 --> 01:12:46.670 but if you can live a life that is lowly 01:12:46.670 --> 01:12:48.870 and that is serving and that is a slave, 01:12:49.270 --> 01:12:50.730 the result of that, 01:12:50.850 --> 01:12:53.530 if you can live a life given a ransom 01:12:53.530 --> 01:12:56.290 first to God and then to people, 01:12:56.570 --> 01:12:57.830 if you can do that, 01:12:58.470 --> 01:13:00.130 he says, great is your reward in heaven. 01:13:01.890 --> 01:13:03.830 I said, great is your reward in heaven. 01:13:06.910 --> 01:13:08.470 So what if we could leave this morning? 01:13:11.050 --> 01:13:12.490 What if we could leave this morning 01:13:13.230 --> 01:13:13.910 thinking otherwise? 01:13:14.610 --> 01:13:15.750 Brian, can I get you on the keys, please? 01:13:16.510 --> 01:13:18.670 What if we could leave this morning thinking otherwise? 01:13:20.870 --> 01:13:23.190 Thinking, man, I don't have to just fight 01:13:23.190 --> 01:13:24.330 why I made heaven. 01:13:24.330 --> 01:13:27.350 Okay, that's bucket list done, 01:13:27.470 --> 01:13:28.970 did that this summer. What's next? 01:13:30.550 --> 01:13:32.570 What if we could live a life of not just, 01:13:32.950 --> 01:13:33.910 I just want to make heaven, 01:13:34.230 --> 01:13:35.770 but what if we could live a life of 01:13:36.290 --> 01:13:38.330 I'm not satisfied with just being a doorkeeper? 01:13:40.290 --> 01:13:41.850 What if we could live a life of 01:13:41.850 --> 01:13:44.050 I'm not just satisfied to be a follower? 01:13:44.750 --> 01:13:46.630 What if we could live a life of 01:13:46.630 --> 01:13:48.890 I'm not just satisfied to be a disciple? 01:13:49.350 --> 01:13:50.730 What if we could live a life 01:13:50.730 --> 01:13:54.010 I'm not just satisfied of being a friend of Jesus? 01:13:54.550 --> 01:13:58.210 Lord, if it is your ability to privilege me 01:13:58.210 --> 01:14:00.910 to be martyred for your name than God, I want it. 01:14:01.030 --> 01:14:02.790 But before you begin to pray that 01:14:02.790 --> 01:14:04.950 and ask that, you better count the cost. 01:14:08.050 --> 01:14:09.710 What if we could leave this morning 01:14:10.970 --> 01:14:12.330 thinking a little bit deeper, 01:14:13.770 --> 01:14:15.730 allowing our minds to be renewed 01:14:15.730 --> 01:14:18.050 and look past all the shallow things? 01:14:18.150 --> 01:14:19.010 Can you bring up the keys, please? 01:14:22.810 --> 01:14:24.690 What if we could leave this morning 01:14:24.690 --> 01:14:26.750 and stop looking at the shallow things? 01:14:28.770 --> 01:14:30.450 What if we could leave this morning 01:14:30.450 --> 01:14:31.610 and saying, God, 01:14:32.650 --> 01:14:34.430 you actually want to meet with me? 01:14:38.520 --> 01:14:40.840 You actually want to meet with me by myself, Lord? 01:14:47.470 --> 01:14:48.830 Do you know what I struggled with 01:14:48.830 --> 01:14:51.110 in the early days of my walk with the Lord 01:14:51.110 --> 01:14:52.270 when I just began to learn 01:14:52.790 --> 01:14:54.070 about the secret place? 01:14:54.530 --> 01:14:56.150 For years I struggled with this. 01:14:57.930 --> 01:14:59.930 I'd go into my secret place to be with the Lord. 01:15:00.290 --> 01:15:01.910 I was trying to learn to live a life 01:15:01.910 --> 01:15:04.450 tucked away with the Lord, to live a life that's lowly. 01:15:04.530 --> 01:15:05.310 I was trying to learn it. 01:15:05.710 --> 01:15:07.070 And do you know what happened in my early days 01:15:07.070 --> 01:15:08.290 when I was learning that? 01:15:08.870 --> 01:15:10.550 I used to walk out of that prayer room 01:15:10.550 --> 01:15:12.470 more frustrated than I came in. 01:15:15.490 --> 01:15:16.790 Because I'd walk in there 01:15:17.810 --> 01:15:20.650 not realizing that I was actually performing 01:15:21.030 --> 01:15:22.690 to capture the attention of God. 01:15:25.230 --> 01:15:26.910 I was thinking, if I go in here 01:15:26.910 --> 01:15:29.470 and if I pray hard, if I sing loud, 01:15:29.710 --> 01:15:31.090 if I do all these things 01:15:31.090 --> 01:15:32.990 that we say, well, if you do this 01:15:32.990 --> 01:15:34.030 then God will see you. 01:15:34.670 --> 01:15:36.110 Not realizing that I was 01:15:37.430 --> 01:15:39.070 walking in self-righteousness 01:15:39.070 --> 01:15:41.050 trying to get the attention of God 01:15:41.050 --> 01:15:42.990 where all he was asking me 01:15:42.990 --> 01:15:44.830 is he said, just go and be with me. 01:15:48.280 --> 01:15:49.360 Just sit with me. 01:15:50.640 --> 01:15:51.920 You don't have to say nothing. 01:15:52.980 --> 01:15:54.800 But the fact that I saw 01:15:55.220 --> 01:15:56.720 that you stood up from the couch 01:15:56.720 --> 01:15:58.120 you turned off the TV 01:15:58.120 --> 01:15:59.580 and you went to your room 01:15:59.580 --> 01:16:00.800 you closed the door 01:16:00.800 --> 01:16:02.120 you sat on your bed 01:16:02.120 --> 01:16:04.200 the fact that I saw you do that 01:16:04.200 --> 01:16:05.580 oh I love that 01:16:05.580 --> 01:16:07.260 you're choosing me in that. 01:16:10.060 --> 01:16:11.920 For years I used to struggle 01:16:12.700 --> 01:16:13.620 I'd go in there 01:16:14.180 --> 01:16:15.980 I'd come out and I was more frustrated 01:16:16.760 --> 01:16:17.780 you don't want to meet me 01:16:17.780 --> 01:16:18.880 this is bunch of bologna 01:16:19.360 --> 01:16:20.640 you don't want to meet me Lord 01:16:22.320 --> 01:16:24.140 I'm not good enough to be met by you 01:16:24.140 --> 01:16:25.540 I'm not like this preacher 01:16:25.540 --> 01:16:26.560 I'm not like that preacher 01:16:27.260 --> 01:16:29.100 what God is saying you're missing the point 01:16:29.920 --> 01:16:31.140 just choose me 01:16:33.780 --> 01:16:35.820 just choose me over everything else 01:16:36.520 --> 01:16:37.860 and just be with me 01:16:38.740 --> 01:16:39.820 and I've learned 01:16:40.440 --> 01:16:41.660 that when I go in there 01:16:41.660 --> 01:16:42.560 without expectation 01:16:42.560 --> 01:16:44.740 I'm not expecting the Lord to come in a certain way 01:16:44.740 --> 01:16:47.060 I'm not expecting a supernatural encounter 01:16:47.060 --> 01:16:48.420 can I be honest with you 01:16:48.860 --> 01:16:51.020 if I was to weigh on a scale 01:16:51.020 --> 01:17:04.500 You know, how many times the Lord actually comes in an extravagant and supernatural way, and when the Lord comes with just simplicity, it's like, you know that you know that you know He's there, but nothing really supernatural is occurring. 01:17:04.880 --> 01:17:12.280 If I was to put those two things on a scale for you, the supernatural or I'm sorry, the more simple times would outweigh the supernatural. 01:17:15.280 --> 01:17:20.080 People always make it seem like, okay, when you're tucked away with God, something supernatural has to happen. 01:17:20.080 --> 01:17:26.380 An angel has to visit you. A demon has to come and you're casting the devil out, or God shows up and shows his face in a certain way. 01:17:26.640 --> 01:17:35.560 I've learned that those moments are so special to God that He doesn't do them as often because He's bringing us somewhere. 01:17:35.840 --> 01:17:38.540 He needs to be able to see, can I trust you? 01:17:40.640 --> 01:17:47.540 Because do you remember last Sunday I said, there is things that God has met me with alone that He's sharing just with me. 01:17:47.540 --> 01:17:51.980 He's sharing His heart with me. It's not even for me to share with you. It's just for me and Him. 01:17:52.740 --> 01:17:57.440 Just like there are things that my wife and I talk about. It's none of your business what me and my wife talk about. 01:17:57.860 --> 01:18:05.280 Will I share some things? I will. But things that are more intimate and between me and my wife, you will never see nor hear me share those things. 01:18:07.140 --> 01:18:12.980 So what if I told you God has met some of you supernaturally and God has told you don't share that with anybody, 01:18:12.980 --> 01:18:18.800 but you went and shared it. Why? Because it brought you arrogance, it brought you notoriety, it brought you these things, 01:18:18.920 --> 01:18:24.440 and God actually had to pull back a little bit. Ah, you're not ready for more. You're not ready for more. 01:18:27.360 --> 01:18:31.660 So what if being with God does not mean I have to bring my Bible, which I encourage you to do so. 01:18:32.120 --> 01:18:37.900 What if being with God doesn't mean that I have to get down on my knees in a certain way, pray a certain prayer, worship a certain way. 01:18:37.900 --> 01:18:43.900 What if being with God means I'm choosing him when it's inconvenient for me? 01:18:45.900 --> 01:18:49.620 What if that is the life of lowliness being tucked away with him? 01:18:51.780 --> 01:18:56.020 Some of you are saying, well Igor, I do that in my drive to work and from work. Awesome. 01:18:56.300 --> 01:19:00.820 Can I now challenge you to go deeper and do it when you're not distracted with the road? 01:19:02.540 --> 01:19:05.480 In my early days, that's where God used to meet me. 01:19:05.480 --> 01:19:11.680 When I used to own my own business, driving from job site to job site, meaning with client with other client, 01:19:11.980 --> 01:19:18.800 because I was so busy in that season, and a lot of the busyness was not because I just chose to be busy. 01:19:18.880 --> 01:19:19.660 I didn't need to be busy. 01:19:21.780 --> 01:19:25.720 But the Lord would meet me a lot driving from job site to job site, 01:19:25.820 --> 01:19:28.620 and then I felt a stirring of the Lord of more. 01:19:29.820 --> 01:19:32.240 Why don't you do that when you're not focused on the road? 01:19:36.930 --> 01:19:41.050 Why don't you do that when you're not sitting amongst a congregation of people? 01:19:41.270 --> 01:19:44.030 Why don't you choose me when nobody else is seeing? 01:19:44.570 --> 01:19:46.630 When it's inconvenient for you, you want to watch a show? 01:19:46.970 --> 01:19:48.210 You want to go hang out with people? 01:19:48.450 --> 01:19:49.790 You want to do this? You want to do that? 01:19:50.630 --> 01:19:51.630 The Father sees. 01:19:52.630 --> 01:19:53.810 The Father sees. 01:19:55.330 --> 01:19:56.430 And He determines. 01:19:58.950 --> 01:20:01.650 I desire friends. I desire just as you. 01:20:01.970 --> 01:20:03.590 I desire to live a life. 01:20:03.590 --> 01:20:08.030 I'm not claiming that I know it all, or I've achieved it all. 01:20:08.550 --> 01:20:10.870 I say like the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 3, 01:20:11.330 --> 01:20:13.370 I don't say that I've achieved all things, 01:20:13.550 --> 01:20:17.990 but I press toward the goal which is in Christ Jesus. 01:20:20.150 --> 01:20:24.790 I desire to live a life even more in the depth of God, 01:20:25.090 --> 01:20:29.830 so much more tucked away with the Lord, so that when eternity comes, 01:20:31.070 --> 01:20:36.150 then I said, then I'll have my exaltation. 01:20:43.660 --> 01:20:47.240 Then the Lord will make known who I was to Him. 01:20:50.490 --> 01:20:52.410 It's easy to be a Christian on a Sunday. 01:20:53.530 --> 01:20:55.830 It's easy for me to show you, oh, look, look. 01:20:57.850 --> 01:20:59.090 It's easy for us. 01:20:59.690 --> 01:21:02.770 But what matters more is what we do outside of Sunday services. 01:21:04.910 --> 01:21:07.370 It's how we choose and what nobody else is seeing. 01:21:10.590 --> 01:21:12.170 And the Lord is weighing us. 01:21:12.770 --> 01:21:14.450 He's measuring us as individuals. 01:21:15.110 --> 01:21:16.690 You've heard this earlier this year. 01:21:17.190 --> 01:21:17.970 He's weighing us. 01:21:18.070 --> 01:21:19.090 He's measuring us. 01:21:20.290 --> 01:21:22.770 He's conforming us into the image of Christ. 01:21:29.380 --> 01:21:30.940 Let me say something and we'll pray. 01:21:36.840 --> 01:21:38.280 I think that's the point, Pastor, 01:21:38.380 --> 01:21:40.100 that the Lord wanted to make for those that came up. 01:21:43.300 --> 01:21:44.320 Can I say it? Yeah. 01:21:50.910 --> 01:21:52.610 I believe starting from today, 01:21:53.510 --> 01:21:56.170 I believe the Lord is touching many people's hearts even now. 01:21:58.270 --> 01:21:59.970 And I believe starting from today, 01:22:00.110 --> 01:22:01.910 many of you have already made a decision in your heart. 01:22:02.430 --> 01:22:05.070 Lord, I want to go deeper with you. 01:22:05.990 --> 01:22:07.510 Let me encourage you with this. 01:22:07.670 --> 01:22:10.250 First of all, first of all, 01:22:10.250 --> 01:22:15.430 never allow condemnation to overrule conviction. 01:22:17.450 --> 01:22:18.450 This is what I mean. 01:22:19.870 --> 01:22:21.410 If you miss a day with the Lord, 01:22:22.470 --> 01:22:24.570 don't put your hands down and say, 01:22:24.630 --> 01:22:25.830 oh, I missed it. 01:22:26.470 --> 01:22:27.850 God is upset with me now. 01:22:28.190 --> 01:22:28.710 He's not. 01:22:31.590 --> 01:22:35.130 But let the conviction of the Lord come and say tomorrow 01:22:35.130 --> 01:22:37.250 or even tonight, if it happened in the morning, 01:22:37.490 --> 01:22:39.170 then tonight, Lord, I'm going to choose you. 01:22:39.630 --> 01:22:40.070 Help me. 01:22:42.150 --> 01:22:45.770 Don't let condemnation overrule you starting from today 01:22:45.770 --> 01:22:48.270 when many of you, I can just sense it. 01:22:49.010 --> 01:22:50.970 Many of you have decided, I'm going after you, God. 01:22:51.390 --> 01:22:52.270 I want more of you. 01:22:53.130 --> 01:22:56.390 Don't let condemnation overrule the conviction. 01:22:56.790 --> 01:22:58.230 Because will the Lord convict you? 01:22:58.490 --> 01:22:59.670 Yes, He will. 01:23:00.550 --> 01:23:01.550 And that is scriptural. 01:23:01.730 --> 01:23:02.610 And that is biblical. 01:23:03.490 --> 01:23:06.530 Because Godly sorrow brings about repentance. 01:23:07.370 --> 01:23:10.410 When conviction comes, repentance has to be there. 01:23:11.110 --> 01:23:11.990 It's turning away. 01:23:12.090 --> 01:23:13.190 I don't want to do that, Lord. 01:23:13.190 --> 01:23:14.310 Help me. 01:23:18.570 --> 01:23:23.150 Do not let the lies of the devil seep in and say, 01:23:23.170 --> 01:23:23.770 you missed it. 01:23:24.230 --> 01:23:25.850 Now you have to start all over again. 01:23:26.210 --> 01:23:26.990 No, you don't. 01:23:29.190 --> 01:23:32.230 Continue seeking Him, pursuing Him, 01:23:33.090 --> 01:23:36.150 asking, yet counting the cost of what you're asking.